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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that
ALTON COOKS, from Orleans Parish, pleaded guilty on July 7, 2021 to a one-count
indictment. COOKS was indicted by a federal Grand Jury on October 23, 2020.
On July 7, 2021, COOKS pleaded guilty as charged to being a felon in possession of a
firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(e). If the Court
determines, at sentencing, that COOKS is an Armed Career Criminal, he faces a mandatory
minimum sentence of 15 years up to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, up to 5 years supervised
release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment.
If the Court determines that he is not an Armed Career Criminal, COOKS faces up to 10
years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release following any
term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe
Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime
reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent
crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most
pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to
address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent
offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions
in crime.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
and the New Orleans Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney
Melissa Bücher of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.